Citrus Roasted Olives and Almonds

Citrus Roasted Olives and Almonds

My friend Carolyn made this excellent Mediterranean appetizer. Her comments are in ( ).
 
Ingredients:
 
2 cups olives with pits (you can mix your favorites or choose a variety for color; our favorites are Kalamata olives and Sicilian dry-cured olives--the wrinkly ones)
 
2/3 to 3/4 cup almonds, un-blanched (the original recipe calls for 1 full cup; I think that is too many)
 
Orange and lemon zest (I used the better part of one orange and one lemon)
 
Sprigs of resinous herbs like rosemary, oregano, thyme, or basil (I used rosemary, which is the most essential, thyme, and a few leaves of sage)
 
Very thinly sliced lemon for garnish (you could use thinly sliced orange too)
 
Extra virgin olive oil
 
Directions:
 
Place everything except the lemon and orange slices in a bowl or casserole dish (suitable for serving), sprinkle generously with olive oil, and toss.  I happened to have some lemon olive oil, so I used some of that too. 
 
Garnish with the slices and heat at 300 degrees until very warm but not too hot to eat (I think it took 10 minutes?). 
 
If you have leftovers, when you reheat them, the lemon slices may be tender enough to eat—a bonus.  Also, the oil left in the bottom of the bowl can be used for dipping bread.
 
Carolyn Z.
(Recipe from HGTV Smart Solutions, 2005)